Gabriel Jesús Iglesias (born July 15, 1976), nicknamed Fluffy, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He has produced a number of stand-up specials for television outlets such as Comedy Central and Netflix, including I'm Not Fat… I'm Fluffy, and Hot and Fluffy. As an actor, he has appeared in numerous live-action and animated TV shows and films, including starring in the sitcom Mr. Iglesias on Netflix, playing Tobias in the 2012 movie Magic Mike and its 2015 sequel, and providing the voice of Speedy Gonzales in Space Jam: A New Legacy. He was also the host of the shows Stand Up Revolution on Comedy Central and Fluffy's Food Adventures on Fuse.
Iglesias worked for a cell phone company in Los Angeles and in 1997 went into comedy full-time, though it resulted in him being evicted from his home and losing his car.[5][6]
Iglesias was a contestant on the fourth season of reality TV series Last Comic Standing in 2006, surviving elimination to become one of the final eight comics. He was disqualified at that point for having used a smuggled BlackBerry to communicate with family and friends, which violated the rules of the show.[6][7]
In 2011, Comedy Central debuted Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand Up Revolution, a stand-up series that Iglesias produced and hosted, running for three seasons before ending in 2014.
Iglesias hosted/co-hosted six episodes of Equals Three, and played a strip club DJ and drug dealer in the 2012 film Magic Mike.
Iglesias is featured in the reality series Fluffy Breaks Even, which premiered on Fuse on October 1, 2015.[11] The show was renamed Fluffy's Food Adventures upon its third season renewal in January 2017.[12] From 2019 to 2020, he played Gabe Iglesias, in Mr. Iglesias, a Netflix original series about a teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. In 2021, he voiced the character of Speedy Gonzales in the film Space Jam: A New Legacy and Picchu in Maya and the Three.
In 2022, Iglesias was the first comedian to sell out Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The concert was released to Netflix on October 18, 2022, as Stadium Fluffy.[13]
Iglesias often references his weight in his comedy. One of his most well-known sayings is "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy", which he proves by explaining the different "levels" of fatness. The five original levels, according to Iglesias, are "Big", "Healthy", "Husky", "Fluffy", and "DAMN!". A sixth level ("Oh, hell no!") was added in 2009, following its perceived discovery in Las Cruces.[16]
Regarding how novice comedians can widen their fan base, Iglesias stated in a January 2016 interview:[17]
In the beginning, work as clean as you possibly can and stay away from topics that could be controversial or offensive. For example, don't talk about politics, don't talk about religion. Stay away from sports. Talk about things that are relatable to everyone. The more relatability you have, the bigger the fan base you're going to have.
Awards and honors
On February 10, 2012, Iglesias was presented with several awards by the city of El Paso, Texas, including the key to the city and the Beacon of H.O.P.E Award from the nonprofit organization Operation H.O.P.E.[18] On March 12, 2025, Iglesias had his handprints and signature cemented at Grauman's Chinese Theater.[19]
Personal life
Relationships
Since 2010, Iglesias has lived in Whittier, California.[20] He was in a long-term relationship with Claudia Valdez, with whom he has a self-proclaimed stepson named Frankie whom he calls his son.[21][22] According to a June 2020 People article, he and Valdez divorced in 2017, which led him to cancel some performances, and to quit drinking for two years. Despite the breakup, he still maintains a close relationship with Frankie, whom he helped raise.[21]
Religion
In a 2024 interview with Neal Brennan, Iglesias stated that he did not grow up with a specific religion despite his family being originally Roman Catholic, since his mother held syncretist beliefs regarding religion—for example displaying crucifixes and images of the Virgin Mary alongside Buddha and Ganesh statues and wearing a Star of David necklace. He remained uncatechized and mostly uninvolved in organized religion during his upbringing, occasionally going to church on a friend's invite but ultimately shaping his moral framework based on his mother's guidance and personal experiences.[23]
Health
In The Fluffy Movie, Iglesias describes how at his heaviest, which he states was 445 pounds (202 kilograms), he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and with his blood sugar spiking to over 300mg/dl (16.6mmol/L) regularly, was given two years to live by his doctor. He said the shock of being told this had prompted him to reevaluate how he took care of himself and explained that he decided to lose weight to ensure his continued presence in the lives of his family. Iglesias described the struggle to incorporate a healthier lifestyle, relating how he was told by a specialist that his heavy touring schedule precluded him from being a candidate for bariatric surgery, and how he instead resorted to weight-lifting, Diamond Dallas Page Yoga, and a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, which helped him shed over 100 pounds (45 kilograms). Iglesias has also struggled with depression and alcoholism, which he attributes partly to burnout from his heavy touring schedule.[22]
On July 15, 2021, his 45th birthday, Iglesias tested positive for COVID-19, and canceled his remaining shows at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts as well as the taping of his upcoming comedy special.[24][2]
Filmography
Film
†
Denotes productions that have not yet been released
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